DIY Toys for Cats

When this Valentine’s Day rolls around, don’t forget that pets need some love too! I mean, who is always willing to stay in with you and watch a movie or snuggle on your bed while you read a book or “help you” clean out that cereal bowl you left on the counter? That’s right … it’s our pets! Whether you have a cat or dog, these conversation heart toys are the perfect present to show your fur baby how much you care!

Related: Find more inspiration in our Valentine’s Day archive.

Supplies:
–felt in pastel colors
–heart toy template
–iron-on letters
–embroidery thread in colors to match the felt sheets
–embroidery thread needle
–poly-fil
–catnip (optional for the cat-sized toys)

Print out the heart template and use fabric scissors to cut two hearts and one long strip per toy.

Place the letters you want to use onto your heart to make sure they fit and arrange them to be centered and straight. Iron them onto your felt. I would suggest doing the lowest (synthetic) option on your iron for cheaper non-wool felt sheets and do a test letter on a scrap piece to see if you need to use a tea towel between the felt and the iron. I had two different blends of felt and one worked better with the towel and the other worked better without it!

Match up the end of your long strip with the bottom tip of your front heart and use your embroidery thread to do a loose whipstitch all the way around the heart …… until you get around to the other side. Once you get around to the front, sew your bottom seam together, add the back heart on, and continue to whipstich the side piece to the back heart as well.Leave a 2″ opening so you have some room to stuff your toy!Since my toys are for cats, I used some catnip bits in with the stuffing, but I’ve heard some dogs like it too!Once the stuffing is in place, continue the whipstitch to close up your heart and you’re ready to present it to your pet!So cute! Of course you can make your heart say whatever you want, but every time I see the dog toy “my tail wags for you,” I keep singing it in my head to the tune of Prince’s “I would die for you” line … it’s pretty catchy! Anyway, at first Mac was a little too distracted by the food props to notice the toys (I guess he even likes dog treats!), but once all the food was gone, he started to play with his new presents! He basically likes any felt toys that bounce a bit when you throw them and these totally fit the bill there. Hope you get the chance to make a cute gesture of love for your fur baby this Valentine’s Day! xo. Laura